United are currently 4th in the table, just one point off Arsenal in third and five points off rivals Manchester City, who are currently second behind Chelsea.

They are also into the latter stages of the FA Cup, taking on Arsenal on Monday. However, there have been murmurings of discontent from Old Trafford over the style of football the Dutch coached has employed, with former midfielder Paul Scholes a strong complainant, according to BT Sport.

Now, Carragher has said that United fans must be patient with the new manager as there was no chance they’d be leading the title race.

“There was never any chance of United finishing in front of both Chelsea and Manchester City this season,” wrote the Sky Sports pundit.

“The way some people are talking about United at the moment, there seems to be disappointment and mystification that Van Gaal’s team are in the middle of a fight to get into the top four and not perched in top spot, setting an unrelenting pace.”

Carragher says that the amount of money that United spent in the summer should not be part of any debate, as the other teams around them have also spent heavily.

“Manchester City won the title then spent £88m on new players. Liverpool finished second then invested £114.8m. Chelsea have sold well but have paid out £112.8m since last year; Arsenal’s outlay for the same period has been £95m. Van Gaal isn’t the only manager to get financial assistance.”

Sean Lunt

Sean Lunt is a Journalism and Spanish graduate with a passion for football. As an avid Everton fan he has survived the Walter Smith era, enjoyed the resurgence under David Moyes and is now wholly embracing the Spanish revolution with Roberto Martinez. Away from Everton he follows the rest of the football league and has a particular interest in La Liga.